Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation
For decades, seabirds have served as some of the most powerful indicators of change in the North Pacific. Your support ensures this work endures.
The Challenge
From Middleton Island to the Gulf of Alaska shelf, seabirds reveal shifts in forage fish, ocean temperature, and ecosystem health — often before traditional monitoring systems detect them.
Much of the Institute's long-term monitoring has been supported by time-limited funding. As these programs sunset, we face a critical question:
Will these globally important datasets continue — or disappear?
The Gulf of Alaska is undergoing rapid and unprecedented change:
These changes are not theoretical. They are happening now, and they are measurable through long-term seabird monitoring. If we lose continuity, we lose the ability to detect, understand, and respond to these changes.
Why Seabirds
Seabirds integrate vast areas of the ocean into a single, powerful signal:
This makes them uniquely valuable to fisheries management, climate science, and conservation decision-making. Few datasets in the North Pacific provide this level of ecological insight.
Our Solution
To ensure this work continues, the Institute is building a dedicated endowment. Here are our goals:
Establishes the foundation and begins generating sustainable annual income for core operations.
Fully funds the core monitoring program in perpetuity, independent of grant cycles.
Estimated annual income at full endowment scale (4–5% spending rule)
This provides core support for long-term monitoring, stability across funding cycles, and independence from short-term grant uncertainty.
Your contribution — in cash, stock, or other long-term assets — is received and acknowledged. The principal is set aside for investment, not spent.
Funds are invested in a balanced, diversified portfolio. Strategy is tailored to the Institute's long-term goals and conservative risk tolerance.
Each year, typically 4–5% of the endowment value is distributed to support station operations. The remainder stays invested, allowing the fund to grow over time.
While funds are generally unrestricted, donors may express a preference — facilities, monitoring, student training — and we document and honor those wishes.
Our Commitment
We are committed to responsible management of every dollar entrusted to us:
Low-cost, diversified investment strategy
Conservative rule protects long-term fund value
Formal Investment Policy Statement guides all decisions
Board of Directors and fiduciary advisors provide oversight
Your contribution is not just spent — it is invested to support science for decades to come.
Your Impact
Your investment directly sustains:
Grants come and go. Endowments endure.
By contributing to this fund, you are helping to build a permanent foundation for ocean science, a legacy of continuous ecological monitoring, and a reliable source of insight for future generations.
We are seeking partners who recognize the importance of long-term data, climate science, and ocean stewardship.
Endowment gifts can be personalized to reflect your values, priorities, and vision — made in your own name, in honor of a family member, or as a tribute to someone who shared your commitment to the natural world.
Give to the Endowment